Washington [US], August 29: A study published on August 28 found that many social media accounts supporting former US President Donald Trump used stolen photos of influencers in the European fashion and beauty industry.
According to AFP, the study by the Center for Information Resilience (CIR) was published in the context of researchers warning that billionaire Elon Musk 's social network is flooded with fake accounts and political misinformation. X, formerly Twitter, is owned by the billionaire, who is supporting Mr. Trump ahead of the 2024 US election.
CIR said it had discovered 16 accounts illegally using images of European influencers to pose as young women promoting Mr Trump and encouraging thousands of followers to vote for the Republican candidate.
These accounts, which used stolen images of real people to appear authentic, were among 56 profiles that appeared to be part of a coordinated campaign to promote pro-Trump content.
"By using images of influencers, the accounts recognize the value of creating a credible human persona, rather than the generic photos and persona-like usernames often associated with fake accounts ," the CIR report said.
It's unclear who was behind the digital scam or whether the accounts were promoting pro-Trump content for personal gain.
The fake profiles used everyday images from the influencers' Instagram accounts - including pictures of them at the beach or walking their dogs - captioned with MAGA-related hashtags or pledges to vote for Mr Trump, CIR said.
Social network X did not respond to a request for comment. According to X's website, impersonation is a violation of the platform's rules and accounts that impersonate another person, group or organization may be "permanently suspended."
In another development, Mr. Trump was embroiled in controversy after his delegation reportedly pushed staff members while visiting Arlington National Cemetery on August 26.
NPR reported that an Arlington National Cemetery official tried to prevent Trump aides from filming and taking photos at a burial site for people killed in recent wars, because filming was prohibited.
Mr Trump's staff responded by shoving and insulting the employee, the report said.
Former President Trump's campaign manager, Chris LaCivita, offered a very different take on the dispute, saying a "despicable individual" had blocked the former president's team.
It was "a disgrace and unworthy representation of the sacred grounds of Arlington National Cemetery," he said.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
